Apparatus for separating tobacco-leaves from their stems.



Patented Feb. 5, |90l. W. A. HUDSON.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING TBACCD LEAVES FROM THEIR STEMS.

(Application` med Jung B, 1900.)

3 Shenis-Sheat l.

No Model.)

/V n [NVE/V701? W5 M my No. 667,3l8. Patented Feb. 5, |9( l|.

' W. A. HUDSON.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING TOBACCO LEAVES FROM THEIR STEMS.

(Application led Juno B, 1900.)

(No Model.) QJ 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I' N 'f/vVE/VTOR W/T/VESSES g m m M" I @7l/M AMW/myc.

Patentedl Feb. 5. I90I.

w./ A. Munson. APPARATUS FOR SEPAR-ATING TOBACCO LEAVES FRM THEIR STEMS.

(Application led June 8, 1900.) I (No Model.) y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

w o o l Iglivlglglglgwm ||||I|| lllllllllllp w l i Nrra @has erica WILLIAM A. HUDSON, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PNEUMATIC TOBACCO STEMMER COM- PANY, CF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING TOBACCO-LEAVES FROM THElR STEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,318, dated February 5, 1901.

Original application filed April 2 l, 1899, Serial No. 713,960. Divided and this application filed June 8, 1900. Serial No.191603 KNO model.)

To ctZZ whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM A. HUDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Tobacco-Leaves from their Stems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact. descript-ion of the invention, such as will enable othro ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in novel apparatus for separating tobacco -leaves from their stems, the characteristic feature of which is i5 that the leaf portion is stripped from the stem by the suction of a current of fluid, (Whether gaseous or liqnid,) to the action of which the leaf is presented. This I believe to be broadly new with me.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two types of apparatus for effecting the separation of the leaves from their stems, in one of which a current of liquid is employed and the other employing a current of air, and myinvention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

This application is a division of my former application, filed April 21, 1899, and given Serial No. 718,960.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional View of 'an apparatus embodying my invention in which a current of fluid is employed. Fig. la is a detail view of a part thereof. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention in which a current ofairis employed. Fig. Sis atop plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a mechanical feeding mechanism for the apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but capable 4o of use with either form of apparatus. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of one of the grippers of the feeding apparatus. Fig. 7isa detail view ofone ofthe discharging-hoppers, showing the mechanism for operating the gates thereof.

The object of my invention is to remove the side portions of the leaves of tobacco from the stems without injuring the leaves and in such manner as to have none of the leaf adhere to the stem. I have discovered that by subjecting the leaf to the suction of a current of fluid, 5o such as air or other gas or Water or other fluid, and holding the stem firmly the lateral portions of the leaf will be instantly stripped cleanly from the stem. The leaf may be presented to theaction of the suction of the current of fluid by hand or by mechanical means, and in either case the stem is gripped, preferably, at a point but a short distance from' the apex of the leaf. The action is facilitated by moving the leaf slightly over the vortex of 6o the current in a direction which will bring the portions of the leaf from the point of seizure toward the butt successively over the vortex. The action of stripping the leaf from the stem-is practically instantaneous.

vIn Figs. l and 1a I have shown an apparatus for carrying my invention into effect by means of a current of water. vIn the said gnres, L represents a shallow tank or reservoir provided with an inlet or supply pipe Z for 7o delivering Water or other liquid thereto. The pipe Z is preferably provided with a Valve Z',v to which is attached a regulating-float Z2, so that the liquid in the tank is always maintained at a determined depth. In the bottom of the tank is a discharge-orifice Z3, preferably of oval form, as shown in Fig. l, and M is a discharge-pipe provided at itsupper end with a portion m, iiattened slightly lo fit said aperture Z3. It is not essential that this ap- 8o erture Z3 should be of the form shown, and it may be circular and of the size of the pipe M, if desired. At the lower end of pipe M, I prefer to provide a receiving-tank N, provided with an outlet n, and to provide the lower end of the pipe with a curved portion m, so that the pipe will discharge horizontally and below the level of the liquid in the tank N, as shown. By this means the tobacco-leaves will be delivered into tank N 9o without shock and will not be injured in any way, In orderto quickly remove the leaves from the liquid in tank N and to deprive them of the excess of moisture imparted to them by passing through the liquid in tanks L and N and pipe M, I provide a carrier, consisting in this instance of an endless belt or apron O, of wire-netting or other suitable perforated material, passing around a roller 0, mounted in suitable bearings within tank N below the pipe M, over guide-rollers o' 02, mounted, preferably, on the upper edge of the tank N, and around a driving-roller o3 at a distance from said tank, so that the tabaccoleaves discharged from pipe M will be caught up by the said endless belt or apron and quickly removed from the tank N, the water draining from them through the belt or apron. The roller o8 is operated by means of a driving-pulley o4 from any suitable source of power. P represents a drying-oven through which a portion of the belt or apron I passes, said oven being provided with a .heating means, in this instance a series of steam-pipes` p p. The damp leaves are carried from the tank N through this oven, where they will be partly or wholly dried,.as desired, and willi then be delivered by the apron O into a suit-g able receptacle or vwherever desired. Thell operation of this device is as follows: Thei fluid-supply being turned on through pipe Z, the fluid will fill tank L to the level determined by the float Z2 and valve Z andwilll ,maintain this level while the vfluid will runi down the pipe M into tank N. At the upper; end of pipe M asuction will be created, the

`downward force of which will be regulated by the weight of the column of water in pipe M. I have found that a col-umn ,of Waterfrorn eight to twelve feet in .heightand from threequarters of an inch to one and one-half inches in diameter gives .good results; but I donot limit myself to any `exact sizeor length of pipefor this purpose. The tobacco-leaves having been previously cased or dampened,as is customary before removing the stems, the operator` takes. the .leaves one at a time, gripping them by the vstenta short distance from the apex of the leaf, Vand moves them on the surface ofthe water over the discharge-orifice of the tank L. The apex of the leaf will be sucked or drawn:r downward .into the pipe M by the suction of thecurrent -and the entire leaf will follow,rstr ipping the lateral portions from the stem and leaving ythe naked stem in the grip of the operator.

It will-be noted that the leaf isremovedfrom the stem, beginning from a pointnear the apex of the leaf and running back 4toward the butt, thus leaving in the flexible portions 4of the leaf a small part of the extreme end `of -the stem yand all the latcrally-extendi ng fibers,

as is required by the most careful hand-.stemming. The leaf is thus left in a single piece, the two side portions being united at Athe apex. In its passage down the pipe M and into tank N the leaf is entirelyffreed from sand, dirt, and other foreign vmatter, vand when discharged into tank N it is caught by the apron 0,,quickly carried up `out of the liquid, being thereby drained, and is then passed by the apron through the dryingchamber P, where thesurplus moistureY is re- Vmoved yThe leaves may, howeverybe removed from the tank N by hand, if preferred,

`erably.adjacent to the top lthereof.

the capacity of the air-exhausting fan.

and dried inanysuitable manner. The time required'for the removal of the stem and the passage of the leaf through the pipe M and tank N is but a fraction of a second, and the leaf will not have time to absorb any mateterial quantity of the uid, so that when delivered by the apron O it will be in substantially the same conditionthat it was in before the stem was removed.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have illustrated one form of mechanism which :I have devised for carrying out my process by means of a current of air. In this construction, A represents an air-tight trunk or chest made of wood or metal and of suflicient-strength to .withstand the external air-pressure thereon when the machine is in operation. B represents a positive rotary exhaust-fan having an inlet-pipe 1),-connected with the air trunk or chest, pref- In this instance the pipe-b is vertical and extends throughan aperture in the bottom of the airchestand to a point adjacent vto the top of the same, where it kis provided with a suitable screen b of any desired construction to prevvent .any foreign matter from passing into the.r fan'B The air-chestA is provided with one or more stripping-tubes C, according to In this instancel have shown the air-chest providedwith two of such stripping-tubes; but it is obvious that by making the air-chest of :greaterlengthean'd employing an exhauster of the required powerandcapacity any number of such stemming-tubes can be provided. Each of the stem ming-tubes has its u pper end extending through anaperture in the top of the air-chest, and I prefer to have the top of the tube flushwilh the top face of the box, ywhich ,may-thus serve as a table or work-support when 'the machine is fed by hand. Each of the tubes Gisl curved at its lower end, as indicated atc, toward thepoint from whence theair isexhausted from the air-chest., so

ythat the lower end of the tube extends horizontally in the directionof the air-current ,as itleaves-thetube, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. The upper end of each tube yis.,,preferably slightly flared or rounded over, so as to present no sharp edges tofthe leafin entering the tube. Adjacent to the delivery end of leach of the. Stemmingtubes is a revoluble dr,umD, consisting of heads d, mounted on a shaft djonrnaled in the sides of the airc.hest, said heads being provided with a cylindrical covering d2, of wire guaze or net- `ting, which will permit the air to pass freely through the drum, but will arrest the leaf,

4ashereinafter described. Below each of the drums D D the air-chest is provided with a discharge-aperture a, the center of which will preferably be located perpendicularly below .the portion of the periphery of the drum nearest the discharge end of its adjacent stemyming-tube,so that the leaves delivered against Ithe drums will be carried down-ward thereby,

the drums rotating in the direction indicated IOO IOS

IIO

eefasis by the arrows, and out of the current of air, when they will fall by their own weight through the discharge-apertures a ct. Below each of the apertures a ct is a discharginghopper E, connected with the air-chest and provided at its lower end with a pair of airtight doors or gates@ e, which open awayfrom each other and are mounted upon shafts e e. At the upper end of the hopper E is a second pair of doors e2 c2, which are normally open and lie against the vertical sides of the hopper and are mounted on shafts c3 e3. The shafts e3 e3 are provided each with an arm e4, said arms being connected by links e595 to an operating-lever e6, pivoted to the outside of the hopper, by means of which said doors e2 e2 can be opened and closed. The shafts e e are also provided with arms efe?, which are connected by links e8 es to the laterally-extending arms of an inverted-T-shaped link e9, which is in turn connected to a lever elo, pivoted to the hopper, for operating the lower doors. When it is desired to discharge the contents of the hopper E, the lever e6 is moved so as to close the upper doors e2 e2, thereby cutting off communication between the hopper and the air-chest, and the doors e e are then opened by means of lever el() to discharge the stemmed leaves without stopping the operation of the machine or letting any considerable amount of air into the air-chest. After discharging the contents of the hopper E the lower doors are closed and the upper doors are opened', thereby permitting the leaves to fall into the hopper. Any leaves falling upon the upper doors during the brief time that the lower doors are open will be dropped into the hopper when the doors are restored to their normal positions. I do not limit myself to the exact details of constructions herein shown and described for discharging the leaves after they are stemmed, as many variations may be made therein Without departing from my invention; but the constructions shown provide a convenient means for discharging the stem med leaves. d' a' represent inclined deflectors, preferably formed of wire-gauze, for guiding` the leaves into the hoppers in case any should fall thereon, and a2 d2 represent shields which extend from the bottom of the air-chest adjacent to the side of the discharge-oriiices toward the air-outlet up to a point adjacent to the periphery of the drum to prevent any leaves from being carried beneath the drum. I also prefer to provide the upper part of the air-chest with inclined plates d3 a3, extending from the top of the chest almost to the periphery of the drum, as shown, although these are not essential. d4 CL are baffle-platesy provided in the air-chest to prevent sand or fine particles of dirt or foreign matter from being carried to the air-pipe b, leading to the fan. In order to prevent the air-chest from being' subjected to too great external pressure caused by the establishing of a partial vacuum within the same and also to maintain the current of air passing through tubes C C at substantially the same force and velocity, even if they are partly closed by the passage of a leaf therethrough, I provide the chest A with .When several tubes are used sim ultaneously,

the leaf in passing through the tubes will partially close them, and this would increase the partial vacuum within the air-chest'and the suction through the tubes very greatly if it were not for the valve d6. In such cases the valve opens more or less, admitting air, and thus automatically relieves the tension of the air-current and keeps the pressure of the current passing through the tubes C C substantially equal at all times, whether one or more of the tubes is partially closed by the passage of a leaf. The main or driving shaft of the fan Bis provided with a band-wheel B or equivalent device for operating the same from a source of power, and power will also be used to operate the drums D D. In this instance I have shownthe driving-shaft of the fan provided with a small grooved pulley b2, which is conhected bya belt or rope with a larger grooved pulley d3 on the adjacent drum-shaft d', said shaft being provided with a second pulley d4, connected by a belt with a similar pulley d5 on the shaft d' of the other drum. The drums will ordinarily be driven ata very moderate speed. The operation 0f this construction is as follows: The leaf is presented to the upper end of one of the tubes C, being gripped at a point a few inchesA from the top and held while the leaf is drawn across the upper end of the tube C. The suction of the air-current will draw the leaf into the tube and strip it from the stem, and the leaf will be delivered against the drum D, which is continuously rotating.r and which will carry the leaf downward out of the air-current and allow it to drop into the hopper E. The air acting upon the leaf while it is being stemmed and while on the periphery of the drum within the range of the air-current will free it' from sand, dirt, dac., which will fall upon the bottom of the air-chest, from which it can be removed from time to time in any desired way.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 I have shown one form of feeding device for mechanically presenting the leaves to the action of the suction of the air-current and holding back the stem while drawing it over the upper end of the stemmingtube. In these figures, F F represent the sprocket-wheels mounted upon the top of the air-chest Ain suitable bearings and provided with a chain F. Certain links of said chain located at intervals are provided with laterally-extending ears ff, to which are pivoted levers f f', the ouler ends of which are provided with g|ipping-jawsf2f2, roughened upon their inner faces, one of said jaws preferably carrying a sharpened projection V0r IOO knife f3, as shown in Fig. 5, which when the only opened for a brief moment when the levers are opened by the cam G, during which period a leaf is presented to said jaws, so that they will close on the stem thereof as the levers f' f slide out of engagement with the cam G. One of the sprocket-wheels will be driven by a belt or otherwise from any suitable source of power-in this instance from the shaft of one of the drums D, as shown in Fig. 2 One of these mechanical feeding devices will be employed for each tube C, as will be readily understood. A mechanical feed of this construction can also obviously be used in connection with the construction shown in Fig. 1. H represents a feeding-table which is preferably employed in connection with this form of mechanical feed. This table H is supported in aslightly-inclined position by suitable braces h from the top of the air-chest and is provided with a central slot h at its lower end to allow the grippingjaws to pass through to the Lipper side of the table H, where the operator will insert the stems of the leaves therein. In order to open the jaws to release the stems after the leaves have been stripped therefrom, I have shown the sprocket-Wheel F farthest from the stemming-tube provided with an annular cam F2 on each side, having an inclined face F3 eX- tending toward the periphery of the wheel. As the grippers move along toward wheel F on the lower lap of the chain the arinsf'f will engage the inclined faces F3 F3 and move across the same until they engage the parallel faces F2 F2 of the cam, thereby opening the jaws of the grippers and holding them open until they leave the wheel F on the upper side and pass toward the other sprocket- Wheel, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 4 and 6.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the air-chest pro vided with a mechanical feed of the kindjust described for one ofthe stem ming-tubes only, the other tube being in this instance fed by hand.

I do not herein specifically claim the process of or apparatus for stemming by means of a current of Water or other liquid, as such subject-matter is fully covered by my applications for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 707,178, led February 28, 1899, and Serial No. 19,604, filed June 8, 1900. I further do not claim the process of separating the leaves from their stems herein described, as said process is claimed in my former application, hereinbefore referred to, of which this application is a division.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for stripping tobaccoleaves from their stems, a receiver for the exible portions of the leaf, combined with a means for forcing a fluid current through an aperture having a connection with said receiver, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for separating the iiexible portions of tobacco-leaves from their stems, a device for creating a current of fluid, provided with an inlet and an outlet, and means for presenting a leaf of tobacco to the said inlet,and holding back the stem portion thereof, substantially as described.

B. In apparatus for separating tobaccoleaves from their stems, the combination with a device provided with a contracted passage, having an inlet and an outlet, means for creating a current of fluid in said passage from the inlet toward the outlet, means for presenting a tobacco-leaf to the inlet end of said passageand means for holding back the stem, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for separating the flexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with a receiver for the flexible portions of the leaves, of means for forcing a current of air through an aperture connected with said receiver and a device for arresting the flexible portions of the leaves and carrying them out of the air-current substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for separating the flexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with a contracted inlet-aperture and means for exhausting air from said air-chest,substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for separating the flexible portions of leavesV from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with a contracted inlet-aperture, means for eX- hausting the air from said air-chest and a device interposed between the inlet-apertu re of saidchest and its connection with the air-exhausting means, for arresting the exible portions of the leaves and carrying them out of the current of air entering through said aperture, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for separating the iiexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with a contracted inlet-aperture, an air-exhausting device connected with said chest, and a movable device having portions adapted to move substantially transversely of the path of the current from said inlet-aperture to said exhausting device, for arresting the leaves and carrying them out of the path of the current, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus for separating the fiexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with an inlet-aperture, of an air-exhausting device connected therewith, and a revoluble drum provided with perforated peripheral portions Within said chest interposed between the inlet-aperture and the connection of the eX- IOO IIO

hausting device with the chest, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus for separating the flexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with an inlet-aperture, and a discharging-hopper, of a revoluble drum in said chest, above said hopper provided with perforated peripheral portions, said drum being located in the path of the air-current entering through said inlet-aperture, means for exhausting the air from said air-chest, a closing device for the lower end of said hopper and means for isolating said hopper from said chest to permit the contents of the hopper to be discharged, substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus for separating the flexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with a contracted inlet-aperture, and an auxiliary inlet-aperture, means for exhausting the air from said chest, and a safety-valve for controlling said auxiliary inletaperture, substantially as described.

1l. In an apparatus for separating the flexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with an inlet-aperture, an air-exhausting device connected with said air-chest, a stemmingtube extending into the chest through said inlet-aperture and having its inner end or discharging end curved iu a direction toward the point of communication between said chest and the air-exhausting device, substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus for separating the fiexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with an inlet-aperture, an air-exhausting device connected with said air-chest, a stemmingtube extending into the chest through said inlet-aperture and having its inner end or discharging end curved in a direction toward the point of communication between said chest and the air-exhausting device, and a revoluble drum provided with perforated peripheral portions, located adjacent to the discharge end of said tube, and adapted to receive the, leaves therefrom and to carry them out of the current of air entering the chest through said tube, substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus for separating the flexible portions of leaves from their stems, the combination with an air-chest provided with an inlet-aperture, of a stemming-tube extending into the chest through said aperture and having its lower end curved in the direction in which the current of air travels through said chest, an air-exhausting device connected to said air-chest, and a movable carrier adjacent to the discharge end of said tube for receiving the flexible portions of the leaves and carrying them out of the current of air, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM A. HUDSON. Witnesses:

E. A. PAUL, B. W. BRAOKETT. 

